Comparative Analysis of Spoken Language Use in Formal and Non-Formal Communication: A Study of Eighth-Grade Students at MTsN 1 Mukomuko, Indonesia
Abstract
Spoken language competence is essential for students to adapt to different social and academic contexts, yet many learners face challenges in shifting between formal and non-formal communication registers. This study aimed to analyze differences in spoken language use between formal and non-formal communication contexts among eighth-grade students at MTsN 1 Mukomuko. Using a quantitative ex post facto design, data were collected from 62 students, consisting of 17 in formal situations and 45 in non-formal situations, through questionnaires, observations, documentation, and interviews. The instruments were validated through Pearson’s Product-Moment correlation and achieved strong reliability with a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.848. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including tests of normality, homogeneity, and independent-sample t-tests with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. The results revealed a significant difference in students’ spoken language performance between the two contexts, with higher mean scores observed in non-formal situations (M = 31.46) compared to formal situations (M = 28.70), and the t-test result (t = -2.226, p = 0.030) confirmed the hypothesis. These findings indicate that students display more flexible, expressive, and spontaneous linguistic patterns in non-formal communication, whereas formal contexts require structured and rule-based expression. The novelty of this study lies in its systematic comparison of formal and non-formal spoken language within the same population, offering insights rarely addressed in Indonesian educational research. The implications suggest that educators should design balanced pedagogical strategies that foster both formal accuracy and non-formal fluency to strengthen students’ overall oral communication skills.
References
Aizawa, I., Rose, H., Thompson, G., & Curle, S. (2023). Beyond the threshold: Exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English medium instruction programme. Language Teaching Research, 27(4), 837-861. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820965510
Almelhes, S. A. (2023). A review of artificial intelligence adoption in second-language learning. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 13(5), 1259-1269. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1305.21
Alowidha, K. S. M. (2024). Implications of switching codes among Saudi English learners in interactive EFL contexts. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 7(05). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v7-i05-40
Amerstorfer, C. M., & Freiin von Münster-Kistner, C. (2021). Student perceptions of academic engagement and student-teacher relationships in problem-based learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713057
Atmawati, D., Mulyanah, A., Endardi, J., Muhardis, M., & Fatinah, S. (2024). The role of language in economic activities in the Borobudur area: A linguistic landscape study. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2365042
Bernhofer, J., & Tonin, M. (2022). The effect of the language of instruction on academic performance. Labour Economics, 78, 102218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2022.102218
Brinia, V., Selimi, P., Dimos, A., & Kondea, A. (2022). The impact of communication on the effectiveness of educational organizations. Education Sciences, 12(3), 170. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12030170
Chali, K. K., & Parapatics, A. (2024). Language policy and practices in an Ethiopian university towards multilingualism. Languages, 9(6), 198. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060198
Curtis, A. (2018). Intercultural communication in Asia: Education, language and values (A. Curtis & R. Sussex, Eds.; Vol. 24). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69995-0
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
Dwivedi, Y. K., Kshetri, N., Hughes, L., Slade, E. L., Jeyaraj, A., Kar, A. K., Baabdullah, A. M., Koohang, A., Raghavan, V., Ahuja, M., Albanna, H., Albashrawi, M. A., Al-Busaidi, A. S., Balakrishnan, J., Barlette, Y., Basu, S., Bose, I., Brooks, L., Buhalis, D., … Wright, R. (2023). Opinion paper: "So what if ChatGPT wrote it?" Multidisciplinary perspectives on opportunities, challenges and implications of generative conversational AI for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 71, 102642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102642
Elsayed, W. (2024). Building a better society: The vital role of family’s social values in creating a culture of giving in young children's minds. Heliyon, 10(7), e29208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29208
Garten, J., Kennedy, B., Sagae, K., & Dehghani, M. (2019). Measuring the importance of context when modeling language comprehension. Behavior Research Methods, 51(2), 480-492. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-019-01200-w
Gebremariam, H. T., Dea, P., & Gonta, M. (2024). Digital socialization: Insights into interpersonal communication motives for socialization in social networks among undergraduate students. Heliyon, 10(20), e39507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39507
Guo, J., & Asmawi, A. (2024). An investigation of undergraduate students' use of communication skills in online EFL learning. Sage Open, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241293527
Li, K. K. (2017). How does language affect decision-making in social interactions and decision biases? Journal of Economic Psychology, 61, 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.003
Lorenz, E., Krulatz, A., & Torgersen, E. N. (2021). Embracing linguistic and cultural diversity in multilingual EAL classrooms: The impact of professional development on teacher beliefs and practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 105, 103428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103428
Lusta, A., Demirel, Ö., & Mohammadzadeh, B. (2023). Language corpus and data driven learning (DDL) in language classrooms: A systematic review. Heliyon, 9(12), e22731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22731
Ntou, S. R. (2024). Exploring complex diglossia in Javanese society. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2313286
Pérez Fernández, L. M. (2024). Translanguaging in multicultural societies. Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-74145-6
Permana, P. G. A. M., & Rohmah, Z. (2024). Contemporary translingual English language policy and practice in Indonesia. Cogent Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2404059
Piccione, M., Ferin, M. F., Furlani, N., Geiß, M., Marinis, T., & Kupisch, T. (2024). On the role of informal vs. formal context of language experience in Italian-German primary school children. Languages, 9(2), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9020063
Rahmanu, I. W. E. D., & Molnár, G. (2024). Multimodal immersion in English language learning in higher education: A systematic review. Heliyon, 10(19), e38357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38357
Ramadan Elbaioumi Shaddad, A., & Jember, B. (2024). A step toward effective language learning: An insight into the impacts of feedback-supported tasks and peer-work activities on learners' engagement, self-esteem, and language growth. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00261-5
Rose, H., McKinley, J., & Galloway, N. (2021). Global Englishes and language teaching: A review of pedagogical research. Language Teaching, 54(2), 157-189. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444820000518
Saint-Georges, I. de, & Weber, J.-J. (Eds.). (2013). Multilingualism and multimodality. SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-266-2
Valladares, L. (2021). Scientific literacy and social transformation. Science & Education, 30(3), 557-587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00205-2
Wang, W., Rezaei, Y. M., & Izadpanah, S. (2024). Speaking accuracy and fluency among EFL learners: The role of creative thinking, emotional intelligence, and academic enthusiasm. Heliyon, 10(18), e37620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37620
Yan, W., Lowell, V. L., & Yang, L. (2024). Developing English language learners' speaking skills through applying a situated learning approach in VR-enhanced learning experiences. Virtual Reality, 28(4), 167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-01061-5
Yim, O., & Clément, R. (2021). Acculturation and attitudes toward code-switching: A bidimensional framework. International Journal of Bilingualism, 25(5), 1369-1388. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069211019466
Zein, S., Sukyadi, D., Hamied, F. A., & Lengkanawati, N. S. (2020). English language education in Indonesia: A review of research (2011-2019). Language Teaching, 53(4), 491-523. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444820000208
Zickafoose, A., Ilesanmi, O., Diaz-Manrique, M., Adeyemi, A. E., Walumbe, B., Strong, R., Wingenbach, G., Rodriguez, M. T., & Dooley, K. (2024). Barriers and challenges affecting quality education (Sustainable Development Goal #4) in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Sustainability, 16(7), 2657. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072657
Zhang, J., Yang, Y., Ge, J., Liang, X., & An, Z. (2023). Stimulating creativity in the classroom: Examining the impact of sense of place on students' creativity and the mediating effect of classmate relationships. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 432. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01479-7
Authors who publish with JPI: Jurnal Pustaka Indonesia journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the JPI: Jurnal Pustaka Indonesia journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
